The past three years have conjured a whirlwind of emotions, leaving many of us to question, “What will I do with this one precious life?” For some, the answer was a career change, for others it was moving to a new city, and for many who no longer work in a physical office, becoming a digital nomad garnered appeal. I decided to maximize the flexibility my remote working life affords me and lean into the nomad life. So in January, I packed up my world, putting nearly everything in storage, and started a five month road trip to live in California and Utah – a reconnaissance tour for where I might call my next home.

Preparing for such an adventure took some serious soul searching and consideration for the kind of environment I wanted to explore. I started with the things that bring me the greatest joy (access to the outdoors, great diverse food, and walkable neighborhoods) and decided to stay predominately on the west coast, accommodating my work schedule and driving ease. My parents grew up in Southern California, an area where I have spent very little time outside of San Bernardino county, and thus my first region was chosen. January-February would be in LA area, then down to San Diego for March. That would also offer fairly consistent, modest temperatures, reducing the spread of clothing types I would need to bring with me.

Next up… where? I wanted to challenge myself, choosing a geographically and politically different space than I’ve spent much of my life (Portland and New York). Combine that with the required proximity to the outdoors and associated activities, and Salt Lake City won the lottery. I did some research on SLC’s typical weather patterns for April-May and thought I was well prepared for what awaited me. And then the weather gods laughed (more on that later). Luckily, I had prepared well enough to keep warm in sub-freezing temps, while also accommodating the 90+ degree days.

With limited real estate in my Subaru Impreza, I had to be very strategic with the clothing, gear, and “must bring” items packed into one suitcase, one tote bin, and two backpacks. I’ll admit, it was a challenge. I love my clothes and being able to change out pieces frequently, but that was a luxury I couldn’t afford, so it was down to the essentials, plus some fun accoutrement to keep my fashion life interesting.

Clothing Packing list

• 5 pairs of pants (nice jeans, 2 casual jeans, Boho pants, slacks)
• 5 tank tops (perfect for layering)
• 2 casual t-shirts
• 3 long sleeve shirts
• 2 nice shirts (for impromptu business trips or an evening out)
• 4 cardigans/over shirts (again, layering)
• 3 dresses, 1 jumpsuit
• 3 leggings (2 long, 1 short)
• 3 workout tanks, 2 long sleeve workout tops
• 1.5 week’s worth of underwear
• 3 pairs athletic socks, 3 pairs hiking socks plus liners
• 2 swimsuits (1 would have been plenty)
• 1 pair pajamas, 1 long sleeping t-shirt
• 1 robe
• Footwear: running shoes, hiking boots, flip flops, flats
• Outerwear: vest, puffy coat, rain jacket, heavier rain/snow jacket, casual jacket, blazer, zip up hoodie
• Winter hat, trucker hat, 1 pair of gloves
• Medium jewelry bag
• Large vacuum seal bag
• Travel packing cubes

Gear List

• Hanging Closet organizer
• Purse
• Daypack
• Sling bag
• Waist pack
• 2 waterproof stuff sacks
• 2L Water reservoir
• Mug
• Hydroflask
• Water bottle
• Quick dry towel
• Microfiber towel for hair
• Packable picnic blanket
• Headlamp (2)
• Duffle bag (for weekend trips)
• Massage gun
• First Aid kit (bandages, duct tape, ibuprofen, tweezers, nail clippers, nail file, etc.)
• Hiking poles
• Climbing gear (harness, shoes, chalk bag)
• resistance bands
• Travel sewing kit
• Spice kit
• Makeup and toiletries

Working/Entertainment List

• Laptop backpack
• Travel documents: passport, vaccination card, medical directive and power of attorney
• Adjustable desktop
• Rechargeable batteries and charger
• E-reader
• National Park Guidebook
• America the Beautiful National Park Annual Pass
• Pass the Pigs game

Key Packing insights

I was proud of myself for diligently planning what I brought with me, and yet in retrospect I still think I had more than was necessary. I’m always that person who brings more than the essentials during a hike or outdoor excursion, so it doesn’t surprise me that I over-planned for a 5 month road trip.

Clothing

The timing of my trip allowed me to pack a season and a half’s worth of clothing, namely pants and layering shirts. Southern California was solidly in the upper 50’s to low 70’s January-March, plus the periodic deluge that required a rain jacket. Utah, on the other hand, was all over the map, ranging from 10 degrees in Bryce Canyon (yes, T-E-N degrees), to the mid-80’s in Salt Lake City come May. Here are a few of my takeaways from where my clothing options served me well, and where they fell short:

• Workout clothes – I anticipated that I would exercise a lot while on my trip, but I was pleasantly surprised to see just how frequently I did between hikes, climbing, the gym, and at-home workouts. I could have afforded one more pair of leggings, but ultimately I could make my combo of leggings and workout shirts work.
• Tops – I was well prepared for layering, bringing a total of 12 shirts with me, however I did NOT consider the clothing memento I would collect along the way. Ultimately, I could have left 1-3 tops behind knowing that they would be replaced with souvenirs.
• Outerwear – No joke, I used every single one of my jackets, cardigans, and over shirts multiple times during my trip. I didn’t realize how valuable my chambray button down and corduroy shirt jacket would be, especially for cool mornings and evenings. When combined with my t-shirts and tank tops, they helped me feel like I had far more clothing options than I actually did. The puffy jacket was a Godsend while in Utah’s below freezing temperatures, but I could have done just as well with an extra long sleeve and vest instead.
• Dressy Clothes – Turns out I didn’t have to make any impromptu work trips, but if I had, I could have left my slacks behind and used my nice jeans/jumpsuit and blazer instead. I really liked having a few dress options especially since they don’t take too much room, but could have left one more behind.
• Shoes – Slippers were hands down the best footwear decision I made! Many AirBnBs prefer no shoes in the house, so indoor slippers get me warm and cozy. I had flip flops with me, but man did I miss my Birkenstocks. I don’t necessarily regret leaving them behind since the flip flips were lighter and took up less real estate, but I missed my Birks’ comfort. Waterproof casual shoes would have been a solid addition though. California had unprecedented rain levels in the winter months, and I don’t always want to wear my hiking boots around town. It would have been a worthy investment to bring some trail runners, which could double as streetwear and light hiking footwear and/or waterproof street shoes/sneakers.

Gear

• Vacuum Seal Packing bags and Travel Cubes – I’ve used stuff sacks religiously for backpacking trips, but rarely used travel cubes… until now. I’m a complete convert! The vacuum seal bag was incredible during my practice packing (yes, I’m THAT person), until I aggressively pushed down and popped the sucker the night before I was leaving. I didn’t even get to enjoy the extra space saving, but I tell you what, even without the vacuum seal, it was incredibly valuable to hold my larger clothing items and then use the travel cubes and stuff sacks around it.
• Hanging Closet Organizer – This might have been the single biggest game changer of my trip! I’m so grateful a friend recommended this item as it helped make unpacking so much easier, use very little closet space, and feel like. I wasn’t living out of a suitcase for months on end. The best part? It collapses really small, so it took up next to no room when not in use.
• Backpacks and bags – The convenience of two backpacks to store outdoor gear and work equipment separately, really made life so much easier. It would be worth an experiment to see if a stuff sack could shrink down my climbing gear so it could cram alongside my work items into my Deuter daypack, but I really loved not having to negotiate packing, unpacking and repacking one bag.
  
  The sling bag and waist pack were nice alternatives to a purse or daypack, but were not the highest value additions to my gear list. If you don’t like being dependent on a purse or a backpack is overkill, I would definitely recommend at least the sling back (my size requirements are large enough to carry my phone, wallet, Kindle and water bottle.
• Liquid holders – My Camelbak water bottle and Gregory 2L reservoir were hard requirements between hours on the road and trail, so these were happy additions to my packing list. A friend had suggested bringing a mug along, so the two I brought were helpful in the rare cases I didn’t have access to a portable hot beverage container. My Hydroflask (or any stainless steel container) was great to have during my impromptu camping trip and the rare coffee shop that accepted personal mugs, but in the end, I feel like it didn’t prove its value for the weight.
• Reusable Keurig Pod – A hard learned lesson of my travels was the severe dependence of single use everything. Whether they were take out containers, cups, or coffee pods, there were so few reusable options outside of Portland. After staying at three short-term locations with a Keurig, I invested in a reusable container in an effort to reduce the single pod waste. How much of an impact it made, I’m not sure, but the peace of mind was worth the $13 investment (purchased at Kroger or other large chain grocery stores)
• Spice kit – I’m a cooker person, so when I stay at an AirBnB, I prefer to have a few of my favorite spices at hand. I brought a 4×6″ wide container of spices including various sea salts, Penzys spices mixtures, my favorite Shawarma spice, and small bag of single teas. All in, the container didn’t take up much space and guaranteed that I would have a flavorful way to enjoy my meals while cooking on the road.

Working/Entertainment List

• Adjustable Desktop – 100% the best addition to my remote work life is the adjustable desktop. I brought two with me, one of which was the cat’s meow, and the other was a bit more hassle than it was worth. Having a foldable laptop stand makes work on the go so much more convenient. I also love having a portable second screen (like this KYY monitor) so times when I need more visual real estate. After my trip, I found this duo on Amazon, which looks like a power couple for remote workers. Please note that I haven’t purchased this item, so I can’t confirm how well it works.
• Rechargeable batteries – I really loved having these on-hand, especially since it didn’t require me to bring more than 4 batteries for 5 months. The recharging station I had was light, but bulky, so I will probably look into a more compact alternative like this wall mount.
• Reading Materials and Games – Having a combo of audiobooks, digital books, and physical guide books were a great way to entertain me and have resources when the internet wasn’t available. The national parks often have decent service, but not everywhere, so having a physical map with you is very useful. I also brought along Pass the Pigs, which takes up very little space and is a fun way to strike up a conversation, but I used it exactly zero times. Well intentioned, but didn’t need to bring it.
  • Pro tip: Download Google maps to be available offline before entering any park, and print out. a copy if you can. Future you might even send a thank you note.
• Journal – Document your trip! I posted a decent amount on social media so that family and friends could “participate” in my journey, but there will be thoughts you need to process on your own. Journaling can provide you a beautiful way to capture your daily activities, but also how you process the experience. It’s been incredibly useful for me to remember small details, but more importantly see patterns in my travel habits, and how to improve my future experiences.
• Postage and Mail – Oh, yeah, I like it old school. Sending postcards and greeting cards was a lovely way to share my adventures with friends and give them something to look forward to when opening the mail. Do yourself a favor and keep a book of stamps in your wallet – you never know when you’ll find the perfect card for that special someone.